The appearance of this sherry in my crystal held before candlelight dazzled me with the depth and allure of an enormous, precious topaz; a shimmering pool of Jurassic amber.

Excellent! Appearance descriptors are sometimes given short shrift ("garnet," "ruby," etc., without further explication).

What an intense and captivating nose! It wouldn't release me! I felt as though all my senses were bathed in warm honey and caramels and the scent continued to cling to me like a rare and expensive perfume.

Also very nicely done. Honey and caramel, intense and lingering. We can dig that.

I may even try wearing it as one! Owing to the 20% alcohol, this elegant sherry has impressive legs; long, slim, sensual and languorious.

More appearance stuff, and making me hot under the collar, to boot.

My first taste was so intense that it was difficult to put into words initially. The Spanish word for semi-sweet is 'abrocado' and it describes the balance of sweetness of this sherry served at room temperature perfectly. It beckoned me to taste again and again, yet it compelled me to be still while it had its way with my tastebuds. I decided that a mouthful of this Palo Cortado is like a first serious kiss, embued with a passion that communicates understanding, intention and control. As for length...I stopped counting at 100 seconds and knew it would last much longer than I. It didn't disappoint!

This is the only point where the description falls off a bit. Yes, we appreciate that it is sweet, but HOW is it sweet? What would you compare the sweetness to? If it's more honey and caramel, it is perfectly appropriate to say so.

This certainly beats the hell out of my first tasting note (jeez...whatever that was....) and I look forward to reading many more!

Deborah Ackerman wrote:Compelling you to try this wine was exactly what I hoped to accomplish

Try it? I want to bathe in it!

Seriously, nice tasting note. Thanks for posting it.

_______________________

Believe me, I understand completely, John, as I would like bathe in it as well! I really may try a few delicate drops as a perfume and see what happens In honor of this gorgeous sherry, thanks for the "fortification!" (Oh, my, I think I hear all of your minds buzzing already, gentlemen, so allow me to repeat myself...that is F-O-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N )

Robin Garr wrote:Outstanding, Deborah! You needn't be humble, that's an ovation-rousing first effort.

To talk just a little about how we talk about wine, there are really two fundamental approaches: The purely analytical, and the personal/emotional. Both forms are valid, although you'll rarely see the latter from Parker or the Speck. You've done the personal style as well as I've ever seen it done, and I admire that.

_______________________________
I've saved the best for last. To receive an outstanding from you, Robin, IS very humbling! My goodness, thank you for reading and critiquing my sherry notes. Wine has always been a part of my life, but it is the collective knowledge that you and these forum members possess that has heightened my understanding to a level I have not previously known. This is a wonderfully informative site and I appreciate all the effort that must go into producing it behind the scenes. A superb job!

As for my approach to wine and this much-celebrated first TN, I can be extremely analytical and in my line of work I must be often, but that is not what wine is about to me. I suspect we are all here discussing this intoxicatingly, unique elixer because, in one way or another, it transports us beyond the analytical. Wine is a powerful gift that asks nothing in return except for us to relax, enjoy and be transported. I never want it to do anything else!

Last edited by DebA on Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

My first taste was so intense that it was difficult to put into words initially. The Spanish word for semi-sweet is 'abrocado' and it describes the balance of sweetness of this sherry served at room temperature perfectly.

This is the only point where the description falls off a bit. Yes, we appreciate that it is sweet, but HOW is it sweet? What would you compare the sweetness to? If it's more honey and caramel, it is perfectly appropriate to say so.

This certainly beats the hell out of my first tasting note (jeez...whatever that was....) and I look forward to reading many more!
_______________________________

Dave, your comments are important to me; that was the whole point of this debut TN. Thank you for breaking it down so I could understand where I might improve. If I need to convey a characteristic in my TN's more clearly, I want to improve on that. I'll admit, I had a difficult time describing the structural aspects of this sherry. It felt so complex to me that I didn't know where to begin. The best I could do at the time was to utilize the word 'abrocado' because it seemed to define what I was searching for. The taste was semi-sweet, not cloying, but I couldn't mine its secrets more deeply in my first tasting and make sense of it. I will definitely try it again, probably this evening, and see if I can't satisfy your "sweet tooth."

OW Holmes wrote:Oh boy. "The nakedness of our wanting mortality..." WOW!!!I could care less what topic you select. Just keep writing.....

Yeah great notes!! Think I will have a glass when I clean out the stables later this afternoon. This will put me in the mood!! Maybe I should spray some perfume around too. I have to print off your TN and post it on the fridge door, that will stir things up around the Doris Ranch!!!!

Bob Parsons Alberta. wrote:Yeah great notes!! Think I will have a glass when I clean out the stables later this afternoon. This will put me in the mood!! Maybe I should spray some perfume around too. I have to print off your TN and post it on the fridge door, that will stir things up around the Doris Ranch!!!!

Deborah - I just noticed something. You may want to edit the title of your original post to precede it with "WTN:". This will keep your post on file indefinately. Without the prefix, your post will get sent off to Never Never Land after some time. If you can't edit the title, contact Robin to help you out.

Howie Hart wrote:Deborah - I just noticed something. You may want to edit the title of your original post to precede it with "WTN:". This will keep your post on file indefinately. Without the prefix, your post will get sent off to Never Never Land after some time. If you can't edit the title, contact Robin to help you out.

Thank you, Howie, I didn't realize this. I think I've edited it correctly, but if not, please contact me again and I will ask RG.

My first taste was so intense that it was difficult to put into words initially. The Spanish word for semi-sweet is 'abrocado' and it describes the balance of sweetness of this sherry served at room temperature perfectly.

This is the only point where the description falls off a bit. Yes, we appreciate that it is sweet, but HOW is it sweet? What would you compare the sweetness to? If it's more honey and caramel, it is perfectly appropriate to say so.

This certainly beats the hell out of my first tasting note (jeez...whatever that was....) and I look forward to reading many more!_______________________________

Dave, your comments are important to me; that was the whole point of this debut TN. Thank you for breaking it down so I could understand where I might improve. If I need to convey a characteristic in my TN's more clearly, I want to improve on that. I'll admit, I had a difficult time describing the structural aspects of this sherry. It felt so complex to me that I didn't know where to begin. The best I could do at the time was to utilize the word 'abrocado' because it seemed to define what I was searching for. The taste was semi-sweet, not cloying, but I couldn't mine its secrets more deeply in my first tasting and make sense of it. I will definitely try it again, probably this evening, and see if I can't satisfy your "sweet tooth."

As a promised follow-up to your query, Dave, I savored another glass this evening and believe I now have an answer for you. This Palo Cortado sherry is sweet like the burnt caramelized sugar edges on creme brulee! Does this satisfy?

Deborah Ackerman wrote:As a promised follow-up to your query, Dave, I savored another glass this evening and believe I now have an answer for you. This Palo Cortado sherry is sweet like the burnt caramelized sugar edges on creme brulee! Does this satisfy?

Are you kiddin' me? For real?!! Okay, now I gotta try some of this stuff! My mouth is officially watering.

Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knowsThat too many people have died?The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the windThe answer is blowin' in the wind.

Deborah Ackerman wrote:As a promised follow-up to your query, Dave, I savored another glass this evening and believe I now have an answer for you. This Palo Cortado sherry is sweet like the burnt caramelized sugar edges on creme brulee! Does this satisfy?

Are you kiddin' me? For real?!! Okay, now I gotta try some of this stuff! My mouth is officially watering.

_________________________

Yes, for real, James. I spent about an hour this evening trying to isolate this complexity and put this sweetness into words, then the lightbulb went on. This sherry is amazing. I honestly do not believe I have discovered all of its secrets, but I am going to keep exploring! Please share your experience with me when you try it!

Deborah Ackerman wrote:The appearance of this sherry in my crystal held before candlelight dazzled me with the depth and allure of an enormous, precious topaz; a shimmering pool of Jurassic amber.

Well done Deborah! I, like you, am mesmerised by the colour of wine and do like to compare with gemstones.I love Sherry too - a very misunderstood variety in today's world of wine.Cheers,Sue

__________________

Thank you so much for the feminine feedback, Sue! I do believe we women have a deep affection for "precious" everything and gems are high on my list as well If you have not already enjoyed this particular sherry, Sue, you must try it! I'm still attempting to completely uncover its mysteries, but am having a fabulous time in my pursuit! Do you have a particular sherry recommendation that you would care to share with me? I would love to know what another female sherry aficionado enjoys! Thank you!

The kind I really, really like is light and bone dry that you can drink copiously, just like a regular dry white wine. It goes down a treat with shrimp dishes, for instance.
The thick and treacly ones leave me cold, and I have only limited acquaintance with most other kinds...

I have a friend who works for Lustau (which I believe is a well-known brand in the US), and he has given me a couple of bottles of Almacenista Sherry that I will probably drink once the weather turns cold.

Why not take a trip to Bordeaux, and we can share them, along with a wide variety of local tipples?

No worries, Alex. In case anyone missed it, this was not only my first TN but my virgin sherry experience, as well. I hardly qualify as an intimate friend of sherry in general because of my extremely limited experience, but this Palo Cortado is changing all that I find myself waxing poetical over this elegant wine!

The kind I really, really like is light and bone dry that you can drink copiously, just like a regular dry white wine. It goes down a treat with shrimp dishes, for instance. The thick and treacly ones leave me cold, and I have only limited acquaintance with most other kinds...

I definitely need to experiment more with the many sherries available but, for me, this was a climactic tasting. I do not believe that I would like a syrupy, cloying sherry at all, but I do like the type of sweetness that typifies this Palo Cortado. As I have never had a dry sherry, I do not know if I would care for it like you do, Alex, but I will definitely try some. While I am certainly no "expert" but when it comes to this particular wine, I don't believe that I will ever want to quaff it copiously. It is so incredibly elegant and refined that it would seem imbibing it that way would do it an injustice, if that makes any sense. For me, it is rather like standing in front of a great work of art. I remember the very first time I viewed Michelangelo's sculpture of David at the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy. I walked into this place only having previously seen photos of the statue...and then I saw it for the first time, in person. I trust you will forgive my flair for passionate descriptives, but with hundreds of people from all over the world milling around me, I stopped dead in my tracks and sobbed when I encountered its beauty. It was life-altering, just as tasting this sherry was to me. Several hours later, I still had not had my fill of Michelangelo's David and I don't believe one can ever be completely sated by the presence of such raw beauty. There is something that we attain by being in its singularly unique presence that we lose the moment we exit into the "real world."

I have a friend who works for Lustau (which I believe is a well-known brand in the US), and he has given me a couple of bottles of Almacenista Sherry that I will probably drink once the weather turns cold.

I would very much like to know how you feel about this sherry when you try it, Alex, so please share you TN with me!

Why not take a trip to Bordeaux, and we can share them, along with a wide variety of local tipples?

I would love to! Please let me know when you and your wife might have some vacation time available and I will see if we can all pull away!

Deborah:
This thread has been a lot of fun, so I'd better get in my two-cents worth while it's still lively. IMHO, your enunciation of the word "fortification" earlier in this thread was spot on vis-s-vis the male mind! I couldn't supress my laughter (not that I'd want to)! It revealed a depth of insight on your part, insight the likes of which I hope is not shared by too many other women in this world. (We men do like to remain somewhat of a mystery, you know!) However, I've a sneaking suspicion that I'm harboring false hopes on this one!
Great tasting note! Thanks.
Dave Mo

Deborah Ackerman wrote:The appearance of this sherry in my crystal held before candlelight dazzled me with the depth and allure of an enormous, precious topaz; a shimmering pool of Jurassic amber.

Well done Deborah! I, like you, am mesmerized by the colour of wine and do like to compare with gemstones.I love Sherry too - a very misunderstood variety in today's world of wine.Cheers,Sue

__________________

Thank you so much for the feminine feedback, Sue! I do believe we women have a deep affection for "precious" everything and gems are high on my list as well If you have not already enjoyed this particular sherry, Sue, you must try it! I'm still attempting to completely uncover its mysteries, but am having a fabulous time in my pursuit! Do you have a particular sherry recommendation that you would care to share with me? I would love to know what another female sherry aficionado enjoys! Thank you!

Hi Deborah,
Last week I had the good fortune to try some of the Lustau Sherries and I think you would enjoy them too.

There was the Lustau Paparusa Manzanilla - a light, very dry style that was crisp fresh and appetizing and just gorgeous when accompanied with green olives and almonds.

Then the Lustau Escuadrilla Rare Amontillado - beautiful clear amber in colour and the fragrance a big step up on the Manzanilla. Rich, honeyed and nutty - never fruity, always savoury, dry to the taste with hazelnut and caramel and that ever present Flor yeast character. Beautiful wine.

Then Lustau Almacenista Amontillado del Puerto 1/10 Obregon - again light amber, delicately honeyed on the nose - honeyed nuts - such fascinating intricacies. It's dry and fine in texture with beautiful flow and a yeasty richness becoming more powerful and spicy as the aftertaste lingers.

Then a Lustau Dry Oloroso Don Nuno. Now the colour has changed to dark amber and the aromas - well you can just sniff it and cradle it and take a small sip from time to time because the flavours last for so long in the mouth. It's dry with a delicious salty character yet it has a sweet grapey richness with orange peel, hints of liquorice, chocolate, mellow spicy oak and a long, nutty, savoury aftertaste.

There were a few sweeter Sherries as well, but I think the real essence of Spain's Sherry is in the dry styles. The sweeter muscatty styles could have come from Australia (she says, ducking).

And most of the above (except the Amontillado del Puerto) are now available in a 375ml size, which is fabulous for sherry lovers.

Dave Moritz wrote:Deborah: This thread has been a lot of fun, so I'd better get in my two-cents worth while it's still lively. IMHO, your enunciation of the word "fortification" earlier in this thread was spot on vis-s-vis the male mind! I couldn't supress my laughter (not that I'd want to)! It revealed a depth of insight on your part, insight the likes of which I hope is not shared by too many other women in this world. (We men do like to remain somewhat of a mystery, you know!) However, I've a sneaking suspicion that I'm harboring false hopes on this one! Great tasting note! Thanks.Dave Mo

_______________________

Hi Dave! Thanks for writing and sharing your thoughts on my TN, I really do appreciate it. I love what you wrote, and you're right, this thread has been nothing if it hasn't been lively! My, my, what a crew or is that cru? There was no doubt that my enunciation would register loud and clear, and I am glad it evoked a laugh, but you are definitely the brave soul to acknowledge it! If it will help to think so, Dave, no other woman on the planet shares my deep "insights" into the male mind...nope, I'm the only one. May I uncross my fingers now?

Last edited by DebA on Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Last week I had the good fortune to try some of the Lustau Sherries and I think you would enjoy them too.

There was the Lustau Paparusa Manzanilla - a light, very dry style that was crisp fresh and appetizing and just gorgeous when accompanied with green olives and almonds.

Then the Lustau Escuadrilla Rare Amontillado - beautiful clear amber in colour and the fragrance a big step up on the Manzanilla. Rich, honeyed and nutty - never fruity, always savoury, dry to the taste with hazelnut and caramel and that ever present Flor yeast character. Beautiful wine.

Then Lustau Almacenista Amontillado del Puerto 1/10 Obregon - again light amber, delicately honeyed on the nose - honeyed nuts - such fascinating intricacies. It's dry and fine in texture with beautiful flow and a yeasty richness becoming more powerful and spicy as the aftertaste lingers.

Then a Lustau Dry Oloroso Don Nuno. Now the colour has changed to dark amber and the aromas - well you can just sniff it and cradle it and take a small sip from time to time because the flavours last for so long in the mouth. It's dry with a delicious salty character yet it has a sweet grapey richness with orange peel, hints of liquorice, chocolate, mellow spicy oak and a long, nutty, savoury aftertaste.

There were a few sweeter Sherries as well, but I think the real essence of Spain's Sherry is in the dry styles. The sweeter muscatty styles could have come from Australia (she says, ducking).

And most of the above (except the Amontillado del Puerto) are now available in a 375ml size, which is fabulous for sherry lovers.

Cheers,Sue

Hi again Sue! Thank you so much for the recommendations!! Wow, I am excited at the prospect of having so many new sherries to sample! I scarcely know where to begin, but I will conquer this lovely list in due course and try to remember to get back to you on each as I do. Thank you for the tasting notes for each one as well; I enjoyed them!